Mickelson Soars on Putter Power

Phil Mickelson hits a shot on the first hole during the third round on Saturday at the Masters.

Midway through the third round, putting is proving to be the difference—both for the better and the worse. That’s always the case at the Masters, of course, but for a spell here, the made and missed putts have been dramatic.

Most agonizingly, Lee Westwood horseshoed out a one-foot putt on the ninth green for a sickening bogey. His short game is not in sync. CBS announcer Nick Faldo has been noticing that he seems a bit stiff with the putter, probably because of the pressure. Westwood, the 36-hole 18-hole co-leader, fell to three-under, three off the lead.

A few minutes before, Henrik Stenson missed a three-footer on No. 14, to fall three behind the lead.

On the other side of ledger, Phil Mickelson canned a curving 25-foot putt for eagle at the 13th. That followed a similarly stunning 15-foot birdie putt at 12, and a tough curving birdie putt at 10. The eagle shot Mickelson into a share of the lead with Matt Kuchar, Peter Hanson and Louise Oosthuizen, at six under par.

Mickelson has played his last 39 holes in 10 under par. After triple bogeying the 10th hole in the first round, he stood at four over par.

Jason Dufner, quietly chugging along at four-under par, has made a string of par and bogey save from outside six feet. Padraig Harrington—remember him?—made a couple of unlikely putts in rolling five birdies in his last six holes to shoot 68 Friday for a four-under-par total.

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